OHL team ‘vote of confidence’ in the community: Brantford mayor

There is a lot more to a new arena and entertainment center than hockey games, Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis says.

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And, Davis says, OHL hockey is about more than hockey.

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“This arena and entertainment center will provide increased opportunities for families to participate in local entertainment and recreational events,” Davis said at a Tuesday meeting of council. “They won’t be going to Kitchener, London, Hamilton or Toronto.

“We’ll be keeping more of that money here in Brantford.”

The potential economic impact of having the team – Brantford Bulldogs – in the city is $7.6 million per year, Davis said adding about $6 million of that is in wages.

“More wages for people in our community, for families in our community,” Davis said.

Davis made the comments prior to council voting in favor of embarking on a public consultation campaign about a proposed new arena and entertainment center at 79 Market St. beside the existing civic center.

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The consultation campaign will run through December and will include an online survey and a public meeting to be held sometime before Dec. 20.

The proposed new arena has an estimated cost of $115 million to $140 million and has a capacity of 5,300. The estimated price tag doesn’t include parking or site development costs.

Under the proposal, a new arena and entertainment center would be built adjacent to the existing facility. The new building would be twinned with the civic center meaning the civic center won’t be torn down.

Developing a proposal for a new arena is part of the deal the city struck with the former Hamilton Bulldogs to bring the team to Brantford. The team, now the Brantford Bulldogs, play their home games in the recently refurbished civic centre.

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The city spent just over $7 million to upgrade the civic center to accommodate the Bulldogs. Although a specific dollar figure of how much the Bulldogs spent wasn’t available at Tuesday’s meeting, city officials said the team’s contribution is comparable to the city’s.

Davis, responding to concerns and questions raised by residents about the proposal, spoke at length at Tuesday about value of a new arena.

“Why are we considering a new arena?” Davis said. “Well, we’ve got an arena that’s about 60 years old and yes we’ve made recent modifications.

“But those modifications barely meet OHL standards.”

The upgraded civic center brought the Bulldogs to Brantford but it won’t keep the team here long-term, Davis said.

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In response to the question of why the city would want the Bulldogs to stay long-term Davis said there are a couple of reasons.

But anyone who has attended a game will know why, Davis said.

A report prepared for the city and presented to council in the summer determined that Brantford can support an OHL team.

“OHL teams only go to communities that are growing and have good prospects,” Davis said. “They don’t go to communities that are stagnant or in the economic doldrums.

“It (an OHL team) is a shot in the arm to the community, it’s a vote of confidence in our community.”

The team also elevates Brantford’s profile in Ontario and across the country, Davis said.

“When you become an OHL city, you enter a different strata in terms of cities and how they compare themselves to one another and how industries looking to locate in a city …these are the things they consider,” Davis said. “The citizens have confidence in their own city to build a proper sports entertainment center that shows what a city can do.”

Davis said the team brings together 3,000 to 3,500 people once or twice a week to cheer on a team and create a social network.

People have also asked about cost and if the city can afford to build a new arena.

Davis said that’s a question council will address in 2024 when a report about financing and partnerships is completed.

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